RACKARD LEAGUE IN HORESWOOD.

Horeswood competed in the Rackard League competition from the beginning with Fr. Nicholas Power C.C. in Horeswood then taking charge of the team. Since 1963 the teams have been trained by Mr. John Davitt and following him Mr. Denis Cadogan.

 

A first District Football Title was won in 1958 but the next success didn’t come until 1971.

 

 

1958 Football District winners (beaten in Co. semi final by Kilmore)

Back: Richie Finn, Paddy Shalloe, Sean Hendrick, Dick O’Brien,

Michael Murphy (Ballyvelig), Darby Caulfield, John Wade, John Walsh.

      Front: Joe Grace, Michael Murphy (Ballykerogue), Henry Hayes, Bill Murphy, Martin      

      Hartley, Bill Bowe, Tom Power.

 

On both occasions they failed to reach the county final. In 1973 the footballers finally made it to a County Final where they were beaten by a powerful, Fr.Jim Byrne trained, Bunclody side which won 5 in a row from 1971 to ’75.

During those years the team was picked from boys from Horeswood, Aclare, Killesk and Ballykelly schools.

 

 

 

1973 (beaten by Bunclody in County Final)

Back: Phil Corish, Larry Larkin, Sean Clancy, Eamonn Boland, Alan Parker, Tony Wallace, Declan Hart, Andrew Boland, Martin Parker.

Front: Eddie Ryan, Sean Conroy, John Banville, Thomas Kent, Pat O’Hanlon (Killesk), Pat Caulfield, Luke O’Hanlon.

 

 

Action from the 1973 Rackard League Football Final

 

 

In 1979 all four schools were alalgamated when Scoil Mhuire, Horeswood, was opened. Having all the players in the one school where they could train together regularly was a great help and during the 1980’s the school contested four Football and three Hurling Finals. A very young team nearly shocked Rathangan in the ’81 Football Final losing 0.5 to 1.3. The first county title came in 1982 when a Fr.Harry Sinnott trained Bannow side was beaten 2.10 to 0.6. The following summer the same panel contested a first ever Hurling Final losing 2.6 to 2.4 to Rathnure.

 

 

 

1982-83 Hurling Final (beaten by Rathnure – first county final refereed by Dickie Murphy)

 

Back: Rory Crosbie, Alan O’Reilly, John O’Connor, Joe Shannon, Patrick O’Brien, Thomas Hendrick, Declan Murphy, Rolf Fuhrmann, Liam Ryan, Patrick Barron,

Front: Pat Walsh, Brian Kehoe, Matt Wall, Thomas Davitt, Colm Mc Williams, Liam Bowe, Tony Dunne, Pat Hunt, Conor McCauley, Larry Chapman.

Same team won schools first football title in 1982.

 

Two more Hurling Finals were reached in 1983/84 and 84/85, Bunclody being the opponents on both occasions. They won the first meeting 6.3 to 4.3 but the second final proved controversial with Bunclody being awarded the game. Horeswood asked for a postponement of the final due to an ordination in the parish but were refused. A second football title was won in the Autumn of 1988 when neighbours Tintern were beaten 0.10 to 1.1 in O’Kennedy Park.

 

 

 

1989 Football winners (beat Tintern)

 

Back: Diarmuid Howlin, David Gleeson, Stuart Parker, Leigh O’Brien, Thomas Howlin, Jim Grennan, Ciaran Power, James Fenlon, Mark McCauley, Colm Kehoe, David Shannon, Richard Shannon.

Front: Fergal McWilliams, Stephen Nolan, Kenneth Howlin, Jim Wall, Dermot O’Connell, Paul Walsh, Declan Carr, Vincent Kent, Michael O’Hanlon.

 

With a lot of the players eligible the following year hopes of a two in a row were high. Wexford C.B.S. had beaten them 11.3 to 1.5 in a league game in Pairc Charman but Horeswood turned the tables in the final in Bree to win 1.7 to 1.5. Playing at corner back was Brenda Hunt the only girl to win a Rackard League medal with a boys team. Shortly after girls were not allowed play on boys teams.

A hurling success was finally achieved in 1998. Playing in Roinn C they had an 0.7 to 0.4 win over Oylegate.

 

 

 

1998 Hurling (beat Oylgate in final)

 

Back: Joseph Reville, Brian Murphy, Derek Wyse, Diarmuid Hartley,

Donncha Cadogan, P.J.Banville, Conor O’Brien,

Centre; Conor Barnwell, Raymond Hart, Paul Dempsey, Ivor Whitty,

Darren Shannon, Philip O’Hanlon, Patrick Mylett.

Front: Mark O’Hanlon, Ivan Kehoe, Barry Hearn, John English, David Ryan,

Emmet Cleary, Brian Caulfield, James Breen.

 

 

Scoil Mhuire became the first winners of the girls football competition, when a very skilful team beat Kilmore 4.7 to 1.3 in Taghmon in 1990. The only other success for the girls came in the Shield Final in 1999.

 

 

 

1989-90 girls winners (beat Kilmore)

 

Back: Margaret Rossitter, Anita Foley, Sandra Browne, Brenda Hunt, Mary Power, Brita Shannon, Emma O’Hanlon, Katrina O’Connor, Edel McWilliams, Martina Howlin, Anita Ryan, Mary Stephenson.

Front: Freda Gleeson, Ailish O’Hanlon, Aine Walsh, Michelle Mc Donald, Annette Fuhrmann, Georgina Walsh, Freda Murphy, Lorraine Dunne, Marie Walsh.

 

 

Jim Dempsey presenting cup to captain Georgina Walsh.

 

 

1999-00 Shield Winners.

 

Back ; Emer Tector, Christine Ryan, Belinda Whitty, Anita Larkin, Maria Howlin, Siobhan Cadogan, Gemma Murphy.

Centre: Jenny Ryan, Hazel Walsh, Tara Duffin, Ann Marie Rowe, Caoimhe O’Brien, Anna O’Hanlon, Kate Breen, Colette Hart.

Front: Emma Lambert, Margaret Ann Kehoe, Denise Lambert, Deirdre Stafford.

 

The I.N.T.O. Mini Sevens competition began in the late 1980’s and boys from Scoil Mhuire have done very well winning finals in 1989, 1995 and 1997.

 

 

 

1989 Mini Sevens.

 

Back: David Shannon, Diarmuid Howlin, Ciaran Power, Darren O’Reilly, Adrian Kehoe.

Front: Colm Kehoe, Stuart Parker, Jason King, Barry Barron, Leigh O’Brien.

 

Darren O’Reilly and Stuart Parker were picked to play in Croke Park.

 

1995 Mini sevens (beat Blackwater in final)

 

Back: James Roche, David Kinsella, Ciaran Deely, Kevin Keating, James O’Hanlon, Brendan McDonald.

Front: Gary Quinn, Mark Kent, Robin Wall, Michael Ryan, Adrian O’Sullivan.

 

 

Ciaran Deely and Kevin Keating played in Croke Park.

 

 

1997 Mini Sevens (beat Wexford C.B.S. in final)

 

Back: Ciaran Caulfield, Michael Howlin, Diarmuid Hartley, Darren Shannon,

William Byrne.

Front: P.J.Banville, John Keating, Mark Waters, Christopher Quinn, Niall Murphy.

 

(Michael Howlin, Darren Shannon and Diarmuid Hartley played in Croke Park.)

 

Players are selected from the Mini Sevens to play in exhibition games in Croke Park on all Ireland semi final and final days and seven  boy from the school, Stuart Parker, Darren O’Reilly, Ciaran Deely, Kevin Keating, Michael Howlin, Diarmuid Hartley and Darren Shannon have all been fortunate enough to be selected to play in Croke Park.

At present a number of past players are involved with county teams. Leigh O’Brien has been an ever present on the Senior Football team for the past 6 years and is now joined by Thomas Howlin.

Ciaran Deely is in line for a place on the Under 21 Football panel while Diarmuid Hartley and Darren Shannon are hoping to make the Minor Hurling and Football panels respectively.